


Shimmering Souls

by RoseyPeach



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:01:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27624424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseyPeach/pseuds/RoseyPeach
Summary: ❣︎ 𝑪𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕? ❣︎Chat Noir x Reader
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Reader, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Ivan Bruel/Mylène Haprèle, Juleka Couffaine & Rose Lavillant, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg
Comments: 8
Kudos: 52





	1. How To Run From The Mess You Made

You zipped your duffel bag closed and slung it over your shoulder, waving goodbye to your boxing coach as you left the gym, the bell above the door ringing softly to signify your exit. You sighed heavily as the dim light from the sun danced on our skin and the evening air nipped at your stinging, red knuckles. You'd have to wrap them when you get home. You tussled your damp hair slightly and started to stroll down the sidewalk. However, after taking a few steps, the brisk, calm dusk was interrupted like a scratch on a record as shouts pierced through the air. Quickly you did a 180 and dashed in that direction, your sneakers pounding against the pavement. You skidded to a stop in front of an alleyway and gasped at the sight in front of you. 

"Hey! Pick on someone your own size!" You shouted.

There was an older man in the ally, his cane laying on the cold cement ground as a man clad in black gripped his collar and lifted him off the ground, seemingly attempting to rob him. At your outburst, the man turned his head to look at you, but it was too late. You already took your bag off your shoulder and tossed it at the man, hitting him in the stomach. The man cloaked in darkness let go of the elderly victim, and he landed harshly and on the rear, reaching for his cane desperately so he could stand up.

You hurried to his side and helped him up, handing him his cane when a rough voice spoke up, " Oi, whatcha think you are doing, lass?" Alcohol was dense in the air as he spoke, and you straightened out your back, pushing the old man behind yourself, "I do believe that's none of your business... Why don't you leave, and I'll forget this happened."

He laughed drunkenly and reached out a hand, clearly not taking your gesture seriously, so you sighed and raised your worn fists, " Alright, your loss..." But, what you didn't notice was the glistening object he was pulling out of his pocket—a knife.

He swiped at you with the knife, making a jagged cut on your left cheek. You quickly realized that maybe this wasn't a good idea, but you would not let this older man get hurt. You made sure to keep him behind you despite his protests, and you earned more and more cuts on your skin. Then, like a fallen angel, a boy, roughly your age, wearing...leather,?Landed between you and the aggressive attacker, face-first into the pavement. He quickly stood up, brushing himself off embarrassedly before his emerald green optics registered the situation he had quite literally fallen into."Uh- Good evening?" He chirped nervously but, racing, his eyes widened once noticing your many cuts and the bloody knife in the attacker's hand. "Hey, hey... Didn't your momma teach you not to play with knives?" He mused darkly before extending his staff and twirling it, hitting the knife out of his hand.

The attacker shook his hand out by his side and growled, " Your lucky Chat Noir came to your aide, or you'd be a fillet, missey." He growled, walking away. The boy dubbed "Chat Noir" frowned but didn't go after him, as he was too concerned about your well being. You didn't give Chat Noir a chance to help you due to you turning to the old man, " Are you alright, sir?" You asked, blood dripping off your cheek and pooling in your mouth, the taste of copper overwhelming your senses.

He nodded and bowed deeply, " Yes, I'm fine, thanks to you and your masked accomplice. I'm deeply grateful." His eyes flickered to your duffel bag; unbeknownst to you, he had slipped something inside.

The old man scurried off into the night, and you slumped against the stone wall of the alleyway, sighing, "Thank the stars.."

Chat Noir, who had been standing there awkwardly observing the interaction, finally spoke up, " M'lady, we should get you to a clinic, your... your bleeding."

You scoffed playfully and waved a hand dismissively, "Psh, I'm fine. It's only a few scratches. I'll be fine." You picked up your bag once more and took a step to leave when Chat Noir grasped your wrist, "I can't just let you walk out into the night like this. What if he comes after you again?"

You turned your head to look at him and shook your head, laughing lightly. "Alright, Mr. Hero. What do you suggest?" You asked, flicking the bell that hung at his neck with your non-injured hand. 

The ears on the top of his head twitched at your action, and he stammered for a moment, " W-Well, I thought I would give you a lift home purr-incess ." He mused, quickly resuming his natural state.

You sighed and glanced at your watch, "Fine, I suppose I'll allow that. I'm late for dinner anyway..." Chat Noir grinned and scooped you up before hopping up on the rooftops, being careful not to trip and fall in an ally again. You raised an eyebrow as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, " Uh, Chat? Do you even know where I live?" 

"Oh- No.." He admitted, halting his run. You chuckled in response and quickly gave him directions to the confectionary your family had recently acquired over the summer during your move to Paris, and soon he was off again.

Once arriving, Chat placed you down on your balcony gently, the white curtains on your double doors swaying in the breeze as if to welcome you back to the home that was still unfamiliar to you. Chat balanced on the railing haphazardly and watched you unlock the doors and walk into your room, evident worry shining in his eyes. You walked up to your dresser and started to brush your hair when you noticed he was still there in the reflection in the mirror, "Oh, Do you need something Chat?" You asked, curious as to why he hadn't left. 

He raised a hand a pointed at your wounds, " I'm not leaving till we treat those scratches."

You looked at yourself in the mirror and raised a hand to your cheek, the crimson staining your fingertips from the cut. You sighed and relented, "Fine. You can come in. I'm going to get some materials." 

Chat grinned widely and nearly bounced inside before plopping down on your bed, crossing his legs, and waiting patiently for your return. You rummaged around for bandages, and once satisfied with your disinfectant loot; you returned to the bedroom. "Let's get this over with."

Chat nodded and scooted over to the edge of the bed as you placed your supplies on the bed covers. You found yourself too preoccupied with wrapping your hands to notice that Chat had picked up some antiseptic and moved closer to you. Chat didn't win your attention until he gently cupped your chin and brought your face up to look up at him, gingerly applying the appointment, causing you to wince in slight pain. Chat frowned in reaction, "Sorry," He whispered, his mask furrowing where his eyebrows would be, "It'll only take a second."

You closed one of your eyes in a grimace as he dressed your wound, but, soon, the warmth of his hand retreated from your face and the cold of the evening returned. "Thanks." You mumbled gratefully.

"It's not a problem. If you need any help in the future, call out for the famous Chat Noir~" He mused in a prideful manner, his hand against his chest. 

"Right, Sure." You drawled, humoring him. You had opened your mouth to say something more when you heard footsteps start ascending from the bottom floor. Your heart dropped into your shoes. "Chat, you gotta go!" You whispered in an urgent tone, pushing him up to his feet.

Chat seemed to be alarmed as well, and he followed your instruction, going back to the balcony, you following close behind. You watched as he prepped his staff to go, extending it and smiled up at him, "Stay safe, alright? Don't get yourself into trouble saving princesses all day."

He grinned and kissed the back of your hand with a wink, "Trouble follows me wherever I go." He stated lowly before hopping off the balcony and disappearing into the night just as your mother opened the door, looking for you.


	2. Sugar and Spice

You leaned against the railing and sighed as your mother came up behind you, her hands on her hips, " You better have a good explanation for being home so late." She stated sternly.

You flinched and turned around slowly, rubbing the back of your neck, "Uh, traffic?"

Your mom wasn't impressed, "You don't drive. And now you won't be going to the gym either. You're grounded until you can tell me the truth." She informed you, her arms crossed.

It was apparent she had been recently making sweets for the shop as she still had remnants of cotton candy on her blouse and waist apron. You put your head down and sighed, " Yes, Ma'am..." You mumbled.

Your parents aren't very fond of your boxing hobby. They wanted you to continue to go to culinary school just as they had and follow in their footsteps to inherit the confectionary shop, and in their mind, whatever interests you had were simply obstacles. Tomorrow would be your first day at a regular high school, and you were hella excited. You couldn't wait to take gym or science rather than molecular gastronomy classes with a bunch of food snobs.

You ate dinner in silence that day and afterward returned to your room, falling back on the bed with a sigh of exhaustion. You turned your head to the side and looked at the slightly dirty duffel bag sitting on the covers beside you. You sat up and pulled the bag into your lap. You didn't have a backpack for school, so this was the next best thing. You tugged at the metal pull tag of the zipper and opened your duffel bag, prepared to empty it when your eyes landed on a small black box with red details.

You gently lifted the box and inspected it for a moment. You would have remembered owning something as intricate as this. With a shrug, you slowly opened it. There appeared to be two matching bronze barrettes, but before you could take a closer look, there was a flash of orange light. It was so sudden it caused you to fall backward off the bed onto the floor, "Ow..." You mumbled before opening your eyes, only to be meet eye to eye with a.... large flying ant?!

The bug thing had a large brown scar trailing diagonally across her head and crimson red eyes but, her pupils were x's. The overall hue of the ant was a deep bronze, mirroring the color of the two barrettes. "Wh-What are you!?" You exclaimed, shuffling away until your back hit the wall.

The bug wasn't impressed, "I'm a kwami, and it's who, not what. My name is Ariana, the soldier ant Kwami, and I also happen to be 'the Kwami of Sacrifice.' " She stated gruffly, her voice coarse and unwelcoming.

"Y-You can talk?!" You shouted in shock. Ariana narrowed her vibrantly red eyes, " Yes, isn't that obvious?"

You were freaking out. This Kwami thing was talking to you. You raised your hands to your face and slapped your cheeks to wake yourself up but had no avail. It seemed like you weren't dreaming. However, your reaction seemed to bore Ariana, and she sighed, flying up to you. "You must protect Paris, and I'm here to help!"

You looked up at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Ariana sighed again, and action that would probably become a habit, " Here, It's easier to show you. Say the following to transform: Ariana! Warrior Awake! And then say this to detransform: Ariana! Warrior Rest!" She explained to your quivering form. " You also have a limited power called Sugar Burn but, I don't think you're ready to use it just yet. It's... a bit finicky." She explained, wincing in remembrance of her last miraculous user that got injured from trying to use it.

You scoffed, "So what? Are you saying I'm some kind of superhero now?" You asked in disbelief But, Ariana nodded, "Yep, just put those barrettes on, and you're a hero of legend."

You swallowed drily and shakily stood up, taking the box of the hair accessories in your hands again. Slowly, you clipped them into your hair and looked at yourself in the mirror, " Me? A hero? That seems ridiculous..." You mumbled. Ariana overheard you and hummed in agreement, "Yeah, I wouldn't have chosen you either but, Master Fu's word is final."

You decided to save the rest of your questions for another day when it wasn't three am and glared at Ariana in the mirror's reflection due to her brutal honesty.

"Well, we can save transforming and such for tomorrow. I have my first day of school in-," You looked at the clock, "Five hours?!" You exclaimed, rushing to pack your bag for the day. Sleep was only an afterthought. By the time you were ready for school, you only had three hours left.

You trudged towards your bed and flopped down, being careful not to agitate your bandages as you slipped into a peaceful slumber, ignoring your new kwami for the rest of the night.

Three hours later, your alarm went off, and you groaned, picking up a pillow and smothering your face into it. You got dressed into a casual outfit, and Ariana slipped into the outside pocket of your duffel bag. You ambled down the stairs and grabbed a piece of taffy that sat in a glass bowl on the counter before popping it in your mouth. You looked around the kitchen curiously and whispered to Ariana, "What.. What exactly do you eat?"

Your kwami hummed in thought before pointing at the small dish of sugar cubes that your family used for tea. Ariana flew out of the pocket and picked up a cube, a broad smile on her face, "This will work! They're my favorite!" She chirped before taking a bite of the pure sugar.

You shrugged. The kwami was an ant, after all. You supposed having a sugar addiction was a given. "Whatever, let's get a move on. We have to meet with the principal in an hour." You informed her, scooping her up and placing her in your bag pocket once more before heading out the door and walking to school.


	3. Patting My Own Shoulder

You opened the door to the principal's office nervously, knocking as you did so. "U-um, pardon the intrusion but, you wanted to see me?" 

Principal Damocles looked up from his desk and smiled, "Ah, yes! Your new exchange student, aren't you?" He asked before gesturing for you to enter the room.

You walked in, leaving the door open behind yourself, and stood in front of his desk, waiting for instruction, "Y-yeah, that would be right."

Principal Damocles hummed in affirmation and pulled out a drawer in his desk before lifting your schedule out of a folder and placing your school schedule on the desktop. "This should be the correct order of your classes. Please let me know if there are any issues with it." He patiently informed you, resting his hands on the desk. 

You nimbly scooped up the piece of pristine paper into your bandaged hands before scanning it with haste. A broad grin broke out on your face as you read over it. 'No culinary classes at all!' 

You could hardly believe it, and you dashed out the door, only to peek your head in the room a few moments later to give the principal your gratitude, and then you raced off to class. 

You trekked down the hallways, poking your head into different classrooms in search of your class until you finally found it. You opened the door fully and stepped inside nervously. Immediately 15 sets of eyes turned to look at your form as you entered, causing you to tilt your head down. Miss Bustier, your teacher, halted her lesson for a moment and smiled at you, " Oh, welcome! You must be the new student Principal Damocles told me about yesterday!" She chirped happily, walking up to you and placing a hand on your shoulder before addressing the class. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet (Y/n) (L/n)! They're a new addition to our class, so I hope you'll make them feel at home." She stated, giving a pointed look at a blonde-haired girl.

The girl scoffed and rolled her eyes in disgust, " How can I do that when they look like a dirty street ruffian?" She sneered, pointing at your bandaged form. 

The other blonde in the room, this one a male, stood up at her remarks, one of his hands resting on the table, " Chloe, we talked about this. You can't make assumptions about people like that. I'm sure they're a great person." He reminded her, sending you a smile.

You mustered a small smile in return but, you couldn't help but feel you had seen him somewhere before. Chloe huffed and crossed her arms, "Whatever, she's still a ruffian.." She mumbled to the redhead beside her. 

You shuffled to the back of the classroom and sat down at one of the last desks, placing your duffel bag on the ground beside you. The class resumed shortly, and you found yourself fighting to stay awake, resting your cheek in your open palm. You jolted in surprise as the bell rang, and you realized you had fallen asleep and missed the entire class. Internally, you hoped there wouldn't be a test on anything taught today and gathered your things silently. 

All the students filed out of the room as you slung your duffel bag over your shoulder and started to make your way towards the door. Unfortunately, Chloe had other plans, and she moved her leg subtly into the aisle. You failed to notice this and tripped, tumbling to the ground. You propped yourself up on your hands, only for Chloe to step onto your hands as she moved out from her seat. 

You grimaced and pulled your hands back sharply, moving them out from under Chloe, and stood up swiftly, the backs of your hands red with the imprint of Chloe's shoes. The blonde lost her balance as your hands moved out from under her, and you glared down at her as she stared coldly up at you with surprise in her blue eyes. 

You sneered, " The floor is filthy, Chloe. I suggest you get up before people think of you as a ruffian." You mused, using the girl's words against her. 

Chloe, enraged, turned red in the face and scrambled to her feet before storming out of the room, her auburn-haired accomplice following close behind. You merely hummed, satisfied, before shrugging and walking out of the classroom. 

Ariana flew out of your bag and sat in your jacket pocket as you walked out into the cold Parisian air. " That wasn't very nice of you; I'm so proud!" She cheered.

Your kwami's response surprised you, and you looked down at the small ant-like being. " I thought you'd be mad and give me a spiel about morals and being nice." 

Ariana scoffed, " That's for tea parties and banquets. If you're going to be a hero, you need to value justice and courage above everything else." 

You raised an eyebrow, and after not getting the expected response from your kwami, your conscience took over, and you began to feel a bit bad for how brash you were being. Rather than go to lunch, you made a sharp turn and started walking down another hallway. 

"Hey, hey! The food is the other way!" Ariana shouted, tugging at your coat. 

You rolled your eyes and looked around, noting you were in the culinary hallway. You opened a door, and laid out in front of you was a large kitchen that you almost felt jealous of. It was at least twice the kitchen's size at your confectionary, though it was clear that this kitchen was meant for more people than just your family, as the school used the space for teaching culinary arts. 

Quitely, you shrugged off your jacket and hung it up on a coat rack. Ariana was too lazy to get out of the pocket and merely sat there, yawing, " What are you even gonna do?" She asked curiously. 

You filled a pot with water and turned on the stove, tieing an apron around your waist. "Well- I've decided to make some taffy for Chloe. Maybe if I apologize with some sweets, she'll bury this hatchet she's holding between us."

Ariana didn't look convinced and shook her head, "I don't think she'd change for a million pieces of taffy. "

You shrugged and pointed the spatula you were holding at her, " Well, with that attitude, she definitely won't. "

You packaged the finished candies with ribbons you...borrowed from the art room and placed them in a basket before grabbing your coat and running out the door, a broad smile on your face. 'this certainly will help repair things between Chloe and me! I just know it.' You thought to yourself as you entered the lunch hall and hunted for the blonde.


	4. Sunshine and Rainbows Usually Mean Happiness, Right?

You peered around a corner and spotted Chloe quickly. You took a deep breath and walked up to her, "H-hey Chloe! I just wanted to say I'm really sorry about earlier so.... I made you some taffy!" You nervously chirped, placing the sweets on the table. 

Chloe's eyebrows twitched, and she plucked out a piece of pink taffy out of the basket before clenching it tightly in her fist silently. After noticing that this may have had the opposite effect you wanted, you slowly backed away and then took off running once rounding the corner, your speed increasing with fear as you heard a loud bang and a deranged cackle.

Chloe tossed the basket against a wall and stood upon the table. " Who does she think she is! I'm Chloe Bourgeois! Monuments should be made in my name, and she thinks candy is a good enough apology!?" She yelled at Sabrina.

Chloe's fists trembled with rage, and Sabrina desperately tried to calm her down, but to avail, a small black butterfly, better known as an Akuma, merged with the taffy Chloe was grasping tightly.

"Chloe! Don't give in!" Sabrina pleaded, but when Chloe lifted her head, a black wave washed over her, transforming her appearance. Chloe's school outfit was gone and replaced with a frilly, soft yellow, plaid dress, white stockings pulled up to her knees as brown heeled loafers adorned her feet. There was a brown leather pouch on her hip, filled to the brim with sweets and her hair was up in two curly pigtails. 

" I'm not Chloe! I'm Sweet Tooth!" She exclaimed, reaching into her bag and pulling out rock candy. She leaped into the air and threw the rock candy at Sabrina. The candy enlarged, forming a crystallized prison around her best friend. Chloe laughed deviously before jumping up to the roof and running across the slate blue cobblestone. " Oh, new kid~ Come out, come out where ever you are! Sweet Tooth needs to talk to you!"

Sweet Tooth's words echoed throughout the school, and your heart dropped to the bottom of your stomach. Hastily you pulled Ariana out of your pocket and cupped her in your palms as you hid in a locker. Not the best hiding place but, it's the only thing you could come up with. " Now would be a good time for the superhero mumbo jumbo." You nervously stated, a pleading look in your eyes. 

Ariana crossed her arms, looking unimpressed, " Y'know superheroes normally fix the problems. Not cause them." 

You frowned, "Well, I certainly didn't do it on purpose! " You reasoned.

Your kwami rolled her eyes, and she flew up closer to your face, "Whatever, let's just get this over with."

You grinned, " Thank you!" You then racked your mind for the key words once remembering you stood with your shoulders relaxed and your legs shoulder length apart, " Ariana! Warrior Awake!" You cried out, spooking a kid walking past the locker. Then, there was a flash of light, and you began to transform.

Black and bronze seemed to be a running theme in your superhero outfit but matched the ant vibe. Black boots protected your feet as your legs got covered in baggy bronze pants with multiple deep pockets and a tan tool belt with a container of wrapped bubble gum. On your chest was a tight black cropped halter top, a bronze bomber jacket draped over your shoulders. Your face was covered in bronze semi-permanent greasepaint, successfully concealing your identity. On your head, Atenas had sprouted from your barrettes. However, unexpectedly, a huge twin-bladed scythe appeared in your hand. At the large size of the bronze scythe, the locker burst open. 

You stepped out and ignored the strange looks you got from the students running from Sweet Tooth as you dashed in the direction of screams. 

Adrien was among the crowd of students running away. His emerald hues searched for a place to hide to transform, but what he spotted was far more surprising. Brushing shoulders with him was a miraculous user he had never seen shocked him. Your eyes met his for a moment before your gaze focused forward once more on the problem, and you forgot the interaction entirely. 

Adrien could hardly believe it and quickly entered an empty classroom, his kwami flying out of his hiding spot. " I haven't seen that miraculous in a millennium!" Plagg murmured, just as startled as Adrien to see your transformed state. 

Adrien ruffled his hair and sighed with a smile, " Well, let's give them a hand! Plagg, claws out!" 

Chat Noir raced through the hallways and climbed up the stairs to the roof, where the sounds of a loud scuffle were emanating. He slammed open the roof door, and his eyes widened at the predicament you found yourself in.

You had fallen to your back, and you desperately pushed the staff of your scythe against the large, sharp Lolipop blade being pressed down against it, only a few inches away from your neck. You looked up briefly at the loud bang of the door slamming against the brick and smiled in relief, " You're just in time to be my Life Saver!"

Chat Noir grinned despite your peril at the subtle pun and quickly came to your aide, knocking Sweet Tooth off her feet before helping you up. " I'm glad I can help you deal with this Sour Patch." 

You dusted yourself off, giving Chat Noir a smile, and spun your scythe beside you, getting ready to attack. " I'm afraid your ending is going to be bittersweet!" You shouted, running forward and swinging your weapon in a large arc. 

Sweet Tooth jumped back and pulled a gumball out of her patch before tossing it out in front of her. Immediately after it left her hands, the gumball became the size of a building and rolled at a fast pace towards Chat Noir and yourself. 

"Oh, fudge!" You yelled in shock at the massive size of the candy. 

Chat Noir grabbed your arm and pulled you to the edge of the rooftop. Suddenly, he pulled you close, his arm firm around your waist. The leather was cold against your exposed torso, and you shivered slightly at his touch. Your cheeks tinted pink, and Chat Noir extended his staff, launching you up into the air. You closed your eyes tightly even after you felt a firm rooftop underneath your feet. 

You kept your eyes shut until you felt something poke against your forehead. Your eyelids fluttered open to reveal a smirking Chat Noir, his clawed finger still pressed against your forehead. "If I had known you were so afraid of heights, I would have refrained from sweeping you off your feet so soon, Cricket." He mused.

You rolled your eyes and swatted his hand away, " My miraculous is an Ant you Air-Head. Not a cricket." You stated flatly.

Suddenly, the building trembled, and you realized the gumball had slammed into the side of the building after rolling off the roof of the school. The construction began to crack, and the top section started to fall off. The only problem with that was taking Chat Noir with it.


	5. Crash And Burn

Your eyes widened, and you lurched forward, grasping Chat Noir's arm firmly. He was heavier than you expected, and you stumbled, falling onto your chest with the arm catching Chat Noir hanging perilously over the edge of the crumbling building. You winced and shouted over the sounds of falling debris, " You know," You grunted and adjusted your grip as to not drop him, " I didn't expect you to fall for me this fast!" 

Chat Noir's eyes widened behind his mask, and he smiled weakly, the stress of the situation slightly melting away. " It's hard not to when you make puns like that, M'lady!" 

You were surprised at your strength. You would have never been able to lift Chat this promptly before, but you found yourself pulling him up with ease almost. The only difficulty is the rattling and shaking of the foundation of the structure's foundations, making it hard to keep a firm grip. 

You pulled yourself to your feet and heaved Chat Noir up to the roof. He flopped down and gathered his breathing while you rested your hands on your knees, trying to soothe your rapidly beating heart, " Do you usually do this by yourself?" You asked in disbelief as you looked out on all the chaos the Sweet Tooth had already caused.

Chat's lips curled into a small frown, " No... Normally I have a partner, Ladybug." He looked around as if remembering something, " She should have been here by now." He furrowed his eyebrows with worry, and you placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Well, I'm sure she's just out of town or something." You smiled, unaware of the true danger the girl was in, "Have faith."

A loud cackle reminded you of the problem at hand, and you sighed, "We can look for her once we get this under control. What do you say?" You raised your hand for a high five, and Chat grinned, glad for the support, and clapped his hand against yours, "Sounds like a plan!"

Chat Noir took out his staff again and spun it beside himself as you twirled your scythe. The two of you made a mad dash forward in sync and began to fight once more. 

Now, you and Chat Noir were chasing the Akuma butterfly through the crumbling streets of Paris, the fight got... a little out of hand, the evidence being large candy corns impaled into buildings and roads. The small insect flew under a vehicle, and you solved the problem quickly; After all, ants can lift up to 5,000 times their body mass. While, unlike you, Chat Noir may be flexible, you were gifted, super strength. 

You haphazardly tossed the car to the side, wincing as it flipped over and the windshield cracked. Chat Noir facepalmed at your idiocy, and you felt your ears burn in embarrassment. Crouching down, you scooped up the Akuma, securing it between your palms. "Well... What do we do now?" You asked, unsure of your next move.

"I- I don't really know. Normally Bugab-" He coughed, as if preventing himself from finishing his statement, " Normally Ladybug de-evilises it." He informed you, cupping his chin in his gloved palm.

Chat Noir's ring beeped, and he sighed, " Well, we better figure this out quickly. In five minutes, I'll be de-transforming." 

You hummed in thought, sitting crosslegged on the floor, the Akuma still captive in your hands. Ariana had mentioned a power called 'Sugar Burn' briefly, but it was dangerous if you remembered correctly. You exhaled shakily and looked up at Chat Noir, " Take a few steps back; I'm gonna try something."

Chat raised an eyebrow and moved behind the flipped car, peering over the edge of it and giving you a thumbs up. You nodded and sat up on your knees before exclaiming, " Sugar Burn!"

Immediately a searing pain burned underneath your skin. It spread from the tips of your fingers all the way to your wrists. Tears built up in the corners of your eyes, and you clenched your jaw, resisting the urge to cry. The image of your mother glaring down at you passed in front of your eyes, and you shut them tight. You refused to show weakness. You were a hero now. If that meant you had to deal with a bit of inconvenience, so be it. 

Chat Noir tilted his head from behind the car, confused by your behavior. Hesitantly, he stepped out and kneeled down in front of you, placing a hand on your head in between your Atenas, " Are You okay, Cricket?" He asked quietly.

A whimper escaped past your lips when you tried to speak, so you clamped your mouth shut once more, merely nodding in response. Chat Noir sighed, " Y'know, I may be a bit dense, but I'm not dumb." He informed you in a low and soft tone before engulfing your hands in his. Chat pried them apart and gasped at the sight in front of his eyes. The Akuma was purified and stood gently on one of your fingers, it's wings swaying slightly in the soft breeze. However, what alarmed him was the state your skin was in. Third-degree burns secreting developed on your hands, the only pain relief being the occasional tear that fell from your glossy hues onto the red sores. 

Chat looked back up at you, eyes pooling with sympathy, "You're a terrible liar." He mumbled lowly, earning a weak smile from you, " Thanks." You hoarsely replied.

Behind Chat Noir, every item and object the Sweet Tooth had created was dissolving or instead melting away, only the property damage remaining. You slumped forward out of exhaustion, and Chat caught you swiftly, holding you close and cradling you as he stood up. " Look who's falling for who now." He mused, tilting his head down at you as he strolled towards the field tower. 

You scoffed and rolled your eyes, a grin breaking out on your face, much to Chat's relief. " Shut up, kitty. "

"Oh ho~ Now you're giving me pet names? I think this relationship is moving too fast for me, love bug." He teased. 

Your face screwed up in disgust, " Ew, you did not just say that."

Chat Noir shrugged and entered the Eiffel tower elevator, which was luckily empty. " I don't know what you're talking about, Mademoiselle." He chirped, finding your reaction amusing.


	6. Not All Heroes Wear Capes, Some Wear Hello Kitty Band-Aids

Chat Noir gently placed you down once reaching the top of the Effiel tower and ruffled your hair with friendly affection. " Don't move. I'll be right back with a medkit." He commanded, his eyes icy with worry. His hand dropped to his side, and your atenas wilted slightly, expressing how you missed his comfort already. 

The subtle action didn't go unnoticed by Chat, and he chuckled, " I haven't even left, and your already pouting, Cricket." He mused, a smirk on his plump lips.

Your cheeks burned brightly, and you thanked the dark veil of the setting sun for helping mask your blush, " That's ridiculous. I'm just tired, is all. Your ego is too big for your own good."

Chat hummed in an amused manner and shrugged, " Whatever you say." He replied, clearly doubting your response.

Chat Noir leaped off the tower and extended his staff to support his weight before he could crash into the pavement below, launching him up onto a rooftop. He ran off into the dusk, and you assumed it was the direction of his home. You sat with your legs dangling over the edge and sighed, staring down at the source of your agony, your hands. 

Your antennas curled slightly, and a beep echoed out from your barrettes, signifying you only had a few minutes left. You felt it was safe to assume that your antennas' curling was connected to the time remaining and made a mental note of it. 

Meanwhile, Chat Noir dashed across rooftops, exhaling in relief as his ring beeped once more. He had roughly a minute left. Chat jumped into his bedroom through his open window and dramatically laid down on the rug next to his bed as he de-transformed. Plagg grumbled underneath his breath and grabbed a piece of cheese off of Adrien's desk. " It's worse than I thought, kid.."

Adrien turned so he was lying on his back and looked up at Plagg with confusion evident in his murky green eyes, " What do you mean?" 

" That ant chick," The kwami took a bite of his cheese and sat down on Adrien's office chair, " She's using the Miracoullous of sacrifice. Master Fu's got a lot of nerve to bring that valorous kwamii out of retirement."

Adrien frowned and sat up, " Isn't being valorous a good thing?"

Plagg rolled his eyes, "In normal circumstances, yes. But, we're dealing with a particular case, kid."

The blonde boy stood up and walked into the bathroom, remembering that he came here for a reason, and began to search for his medkit as Plagg continued to explain, " She's utterly fearless in the face of danger. Death is a mere inconvenience in that idiot's mind, and it's safe to assume the miraculous user is similar in that sense."

"Hey!" Adrien poked his head out of the bathroom and gave Plagg a pointed glare, " Be nice." He commanded before returning to his quest. 

Plagg groaned and finished off his cheese in one last bite, " Whatever, my point is simple. Has cataclysm ever hurt you in any way?"

Adrien walked out of the bathroom and shook his head, " No, I've always been fine afterward."

Plagg flew onto Adrien's shoulder, " Well, Sugar Burn of whatever that wacko called it, works very differently. It will perform the user any desired action, but the user will earn injuries and consequences equivalent to the deed in return. "

Adrien winced and walked up to his window, " That sounds.... awful." He quietly replied, feeling a bit sympathetic for you. 

Plagg nodded in agreement, " Which is why I have a favor to ask you." He stated firmly before clearing his throat and continuing, " I need you to steal her miraculous."

You looked up from your hands as you noticed Chat Noir on the horizon and resisted the urge to wave, knowing it would only bring you more pain so, you waited till he was beside you again to greet him. " Welcome back, Chat. Took you long enough."

He rolled his eyes and sat down next to you, popping open the medkit, "Bold words for someone needing my help." 

You pursed your lips into a pout, "The details aren't important."

Chat Noir laughed and grasped your hand gently before starting to wrap your hands and treating them. Eventually, however, he ran out of materials. Chat hummed in thought and rummaged through the case before pulling out a package of bandaids. The bright pastel print showcased on the box, making you grin, " Hello Kitty Bandaids? I had no idea you were such a fan~" You teased, bringing your face close to his. 

Chat flicked your forehead, flustered. "Shu-Shut up, th-they were on sale." He groaned, but internally, he was proud he could make you smile amidst your pain. 

You giggled and watched as he wrapped the bandaids around your index and middle finger on your left hand and on the thumb of your right hand. Another beep rang out in the night air, and you realized you only had a minute left. You stood up, a smile still tugging at your lips, " Thanks for everything, Chat. I promise I'll pay you back one day."

Chat shook his head and walked with you into the elevator, swallowing the guilt building up in his throat, " It's alright. I'm sure we'll be equally in each other debt soon enough. After all, we're partners now, Cricket." 

You chose to ignore his new nickname for you and repeated his words in your head. "Partners... I like the sound of that." You informed him softly, peering up at him happily. Chat returned the look but, something else seemed to be pooling in his eyes, regret maybe? You couldn't figure it out.


End file.
